PTSD
by Vitani825
Summary: Karma has come back to bite Topsy in the butt. With nightmares plaguing his mind; will he ever sleep peacefully again?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Land Before Time characters.**

 **A/N: This story doesn't contain any of my OC's that have appeared in my other stories. I wasn't happy with the first version of this story and have done some major revisions.**

One night in the Great Valley, Topsy appeared to be sleeping uneasily. It has been months since the green food had come back after the fire had disappeared. However, Topsy's stunt with leading Cera directly into the fire, albeit unintentionally, still haunted his mind.

*Topsy's Nightmare*

*Topsy and Cera were surrounded by burning logs and all the flames; they had nowhere to go. Suddenly, Topsy looked over at the still form of Cera; he rushed over and tried to wake her up. However, it was no use; Cera had died due to an excessive amount of smoke in her lungs. Just when Topsy was about to collapse, he woke up panting.*

*End dream*

Topsy sat up suddenly and looked over at Cera, who was sleeping soundly. He heaved a sigh of relief and went back into an uneasy sleep.

A few hours later, he and Cera appeared at the Feeding Grounds for breakast. However, since Topsy barely slept a wink, he was tired and grumpy. Although, that didn't stop him from going on about his day. He started eating some sweet bubbles from a bush and then rammed some treestars down from a tall tree and ate them. Grandpa has been watching him from a distance and noticed that something seemed off about him; though, he decided not to pester him about it.

"Hmm," Grandpa muttered.

"What is it, dear?" Grandma wondered.

"It seems our threehorn friend appears to be troubled; ever since the fire, he's really been on edge," Grandpa explained.

Grandma sighed. She couldn't deny how much she cared about Topsy's wellbeing.

"I wouldn't bother him with so many questions; let him come to you, or me or anyone else who's willing to let him express his emotions," Grandma assured her mate.

"You're right; but, once again, my parental instincts have kicked in, even if Topsy isn't an offspring of ours; I still care about him; why do you think I saved him and Cera? I didn't want them to die in the fire," Grandpa told her.

Grandma nodded.

Later in the day, Topsy was walking around; it seemed as if he saw fire and flames everywhere he went. However, he shook it off, and just kept it to himself.

*Flashback*

*"Daddy, I'm scared!" Cera exclaimed.

*"A real threehorn never gets scared in the face of danger," Topsy told her.

*They were soon surrounded by some flames that had knocked a tree down and blocked their path. Both of them panted from exhaustion...*

*Flashback end*

Topsy shook his head in order to clear his mind of the thought.

"That was scary," Topsy told himself.

After that, he continued his solitary walk. In the back of his mind, he hoped that the nightmares would stop soon since he really needed some sleep. However, he would have to confide in someone he could trust with his life to keep the matter to him/herself.

Over the next few days, Topsy has been getting the same nightmare; even during the day when he decides to take an afternoon nap underneath the bright circle. Various herd members were getting worried about him since he seems to be more irritable than normal. Even Kosh has expressed how worried he was even if Topsy isn't one of his best friends.

"I assure you guys; I'm fine," Topsy told them.

"Then why are you so grumpy, hmm?" Kosh retorted.

"You're annoying me with your questions, now just leave me alone for a while," Topsy snapped.

Kosh sighed and wandered away with some of the herd members following being him.

"Hmph!" Topsy snorted and walked away in the opposite direction.

He then decided to lie down for another nap, hoping that this time, he won't have the recurring nightmare. He got himself comfortable on the ground underneath a big tree and rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, Littlefoot and his friends were out playing with Hyp, Mutt and Nod. The eight of them were having fun tossing the pinecone around. However, Hyp's team was winning; and it was on a team that Cera wasn't on. She really wanted to be on the winning team; however, she was told that games were meant for having fun, not just winning. Hyp kicked the pinecone over to Littlefoot; however, Nod, being on Cera's team had caught it in his mouth and it landed in the goal for Hyp's team.

"D'oh, me no like losing," Petrie muttered.

"Ha ha ha, the score is tied; the next one to score is the winner," Cera stated.

"And that's gonna be me, girly," Hyp sneered.

Once the game had restarted, Hyp managed to score on Cera's team. Although their team had won, Littlefoot, Spike, Mutt and Hyp were nice about it and offered to do a rematch.

"Good game, guys," Cera commented.

Spike murmured in agreement.

"Uh, yeah; it was fun," Mutt agreed.

Back at the Tall Trees, Topsy once again had woken up from his recurring nightmare. Much to his horror, he was confronted by Grandpa Longneck.

"Are you all right? I heard you yelling in your sleep," Grandpa commented.

Topsy stood up and shook himself.

"I'll be fine; Kosh and a few others asked me the same thing and I told them that I was fine," Topsy said.

"All right; but, I have noticed that you've been having nightmares; if you ever feel the need to talk, I'm ready to listen," Grandpa told him.

"Like I said before, I'm fine," Topsy stated.

"All right; I'll drop it; but, remember that it's not healthy to keep things bottled up," Grandpa claimed.

Topsy nodded and wandered away.

"That threehorn is gonna snap one day," Grandpa muttered to himself.

Once Topsy had gotten to a more secluded area, he found himself getting a headache.

"Maybe the longneck is right...no, no; a threehorn never shows weakness to anybody, especially a longneck," Topsy told himself.

He was soon fighting a battle within himself; his conscience was telling him that opening up about his nightmares to someone is a good way of making sure he won't get any more nightmares. However, another part of him made him keep the negative feelings to himself.

"Hmmm, maybe a drink of water will get rid of this headache," Topsy said.

Upon reaching a watering hole, he owered his head to the water and began to drink. After quenching his thirst, his headache had gone away. However, he felt a sharp pain in his chest; since it was minor, he shook it off and kept on walking.

Unbeknownst to him, various herd members were keeping a close watch on him since there might be one day when he'd snap.


	2. Chapter 2

**AllegroGiocoso: Thanks for the review. I appreciate getting positive feedback.**

Later at the Feeding Grounds, Topsy was unusually quiet; and he usually likes to gather as many sweet bubbles that he can before Kosh could get to them. Instead, he just kept to himself to prevent drawing attention from the other herd members. He didn't want to appear weak, and he wasn't gonna show weakness if he could help it.

"Huh; those guys need to mind their own business," Topsy muttered.

After he had gotten his share of sweet bubbles and treestars, he decided to go shower under the flowing water at the Thundering Falls. The other herd members watched him walking away with worried expressions on their faces. However, if they confronted him again on the issue, he would more likely resort to physical violence due to his short temper.

"I don't know about you guys; but, someone needs to keep an eye on him," Kosh replied.

"Maybe; but, I think it would be best to leave him alone right now," Ariel said.

Kosh couldn't help but agree with the adult swimmer.

Meanwhile at the Thundering Falls, Topsy got out from under the water and shook himself dry. He felt a bit better after having a nice, refreshing shower. However, the recurring flashbacks and nightmares of the day of the forest fire still weighed heavily on his mind.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take," Topsy muttered.

Luckily for him, no one was around to hear what he said. Soon enough, his headache returned; the pain was a bit worse than it was the last time. He sat down and squeezed his eyes shut and placed his right forepaw on his forehead. Soon enough, he felt a bit lightheaded due to the tremendous pain in his head and the back of his neck. His breathing patterns were a bit off as well; however, he wold still do what he could to avoid looking weak considering his upbringing.

It took several minutes before the headache had gone away, and his vision was clear; however, no matter how bad he felt, he was taught that emotions were for the weak.

"Man that gets annoying," Topsy said to himself.

Since he was still very tired, he decided to take a nap underneath a large tree.

Meanwhile, some of the elders gathered at their meeting place to discuss what to do about Topsy. However, Grandpa wasn't so sure if he wanted to talk about it in front of everybody since he's usually a very private dinosaur and didn't trust many others.

"I am just as worried about him as you are; but, pestering him about it would only cause him to get very defensive; I've seen him lose his temper before; it's not a pretty sight," Grandpa told Kosh.

The clubtail nodded.

"Besides, I think this issue is too personal for him to talk about in front of everybody; and considering how his father raised him, I'm not surprised that he'd be self-conscious about expressing his emotions in front of an audience," Grandpa added.

"So, what you're saying is, go about our day as usual as if nothing's wrong," Kosh said.

"Exactly; just think of how you would feel if you were dealing with an internal conflict and someone kept pestering you to open up about it," Grandpa stated, firmly.

Kosh nodded, knowing that the elderly longneck was right.

"Can't argue with you there," Kosh stated.

Grandpa nodded.

Back over where Topsy is, he once again woke up panting. He looked around and sighed with relief. Not only were his nightmares happening at night, he gets them during the day when he has a nap. He hasn't been getting a good night sleep for the last few days; and it wasn't doing good for his mental health, or his physical health. However, he managed to keep his emotions under control; although, some of the elders, including Grandpa were getting suspicious.

Meanwhile with the kids, they were having fun swimming in the watering hole while under the watchful eye of some of the grown ups. Ducky was seeing how long she could hold her breath under the water while the others were splashing around.

"Ducky has been under the water for quite a while," Cera commented.

"Yeah; I guess she's trying to beat her record for longest time underneath the water," Littlefoot said.

All of a sudden, Ducky swam back to the surface.

"I beat my record by two minutes; yep, yep, yep," Ducky exclaimed.

"Me no know how you do it," Petrie stated.

Cera smirked at the flyer.

"What's there to try and figure out? All you do is hold your breath under the water-"

"Me know how you hold breath underwater," Petrie snapped.

"I believe what Petrie meant to ask is how you were able to hold your breath for so long, even for a swimmer," Littlefoot told Ducky.

"Oh, it takes a lot of practice; I am sure I would be able to hold my breath underwater much longer when I am fully grown," Ducky explained.

Spike muttered in agreement.

"Hey, Petrie, I feel kinda bad about what I said to you before," Cera admitted.

"Oh, that okay; me just wish me knew better way to ask Ducky how she able to hold her breath under the water for a long time," Petrie told her.

Cera smiled knowing that her smartass comment didn't hurt Petrie's feelings too much and she had forgiven him for snapping at her.

Later that day, Topsy was wandering aimlessly and accidentally bumped into Mr. Thicknose.

"Watch where you're going!" Topsy snarled.

"Me? You need to be more aware of your surroundings," Mr. Thicknose retorted.

Soon enough, Topsy felt another flashback coming on; however, he managed to shake it off.

"Are you all right?" Mr. Thicknose asked.

"Sure I am; has anyone said anything to you? If they did; they should mind their own damn business," Topsy growled.

"You're not quite yourself today," Mr. Thicknose commented.

"I told you, I'm fine!" Topsy snapped now with his tail between his hind legs.

"Okay, okay; I'll leave you alone now," Mr. Thicknose stated.

Topsy let out a puff of air through his nostrils in triumph. However, once he was alone, he sighed. He didn't mean to lash out at the elder; Mr. Thicknose was just concerned for him.

"Damn you, Father! Damn you to hell!" Topsy yelled out while stomping his right forepaw.


	3. Chapter 3

Topsy's outburst with Mr. Thicknose, while uncalled for, was understandable. The threehorn still has insecurities that he hasn't gotten over yet. To make matters worse, his appetite was almost non-existent, and he has been experiencing shortness of breath along with recurring headaches due to the repressed emotions within him. However, he still continued to live life as normally as possible.

"I gotta eat something," Topsy told himself.

He then started nibbling on a ground star plant since he didn't have his usual energy to ram some treestars from a tree. It took more effort to swallow them since he felt like his stomach was tied in knots due to all the stress he's going through. The food tasted bitter to him; after looking at the bush of sweet bubbles next to the ground star plant, they didn't seem appetizing to him at all.

"Ah, well, my loss is Kosh's gain; the extra food and extra weight," Topsy stated.

Unbeknownst to the threehorn, Kosh was listening and heard everything. However, he decided not to make a big deal out of in for fear that it might cause another outburst from Topsy.

"Ugh! Maybe some water will help," Topsy claimed.

Upon reaching the Thundering Falls, Topsy stood at the edge of the watering hole and took a few gulps of water. Then, he realized his mistake; he then rushed to some bushes off-screen just in time before his stomach emptied its contents. After a few minutes, he wandered back over to the watering hole and took another drink. However, he was caught off guard by Grandpa Longneck. The elder had been the one to notice him throwing up in the bushes.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Grandpa asked.

Topsy crouched down in a pouncing position; he was getting tired of being asked if he was all right. However, since Grandpa was much bigger, he could take him on. The elder took it upon himself to keep Topsy from attacking him out of anger.

"I'm sorry, I can't help myself; I'm just worried about you," Grandpa added.

Topsy was still clenching his jaws; his horns were still at the ready to charge. However, he finally relented and sat down. Grandpa was happy that he was able to get Topsy to calm down.

"You saw me, huh? I guess I just ate something that didn't agree with me," Topsy stated.

Grandpa shrugged.

"I appreciate you looking out for me; but, I don't feel ready to talk about my feelings yet," Topsy continued.

Grandpa nodded.

Soon enough, both males went their separate ways. Grandpa decided to drop the subject for now; however, he couldn't help but worry about the threehorn. As if on cue, Grandma showed up at Grandpa's side.

"Did you get him to open up, yet?" Grandma asked.

"Eh, he's not quite ready to open up yet," Grandpa answered.

"I understand; and I can see that he'd be insecure about opening up to you if I'm around; since even males need to have one-on-one conversations; there are times when I have one-on-one conversations with females," Grandma explained.

Grandpa nodded.

"That's a good point; I think that a one-on-one conversation with me is what Topsy needs to let go of any repressed emotions; and then when he feels ready, he could be more open about it with the others; until then, whenever he decides to take me aside to talk, it'll be just between me and him; you understand that like with females, males need to have the odd private conversation," Grandpa stated.

Grandma nodded.

Meanwhile, the eight kids were wading in the watering hole. The weather was pretty warm since the sun was at the highest point in the sky.

"It is hot out; I am just glad that all the green food is back in full bloom again," Ducky commented.

The other seven nodded in agreement.

A little while later, a meeting was being held at the Rock Circle. Once again, a few of the grown ups were having a discussion without Topsy.

"What are we gonna do with him?" Kosh asked.

"We aren't gonna do anything," Grandpa answered.

Kosh glanced up at the elder.

"He went off on Mr. Thicknose; although, he just yelled at him, and he almost lost it again earlier after I once again asked him if he was all right; I know something is bothering him; but, until he feels ready to talk about it in front of everybody, he might only want to talk about it if it's with just me," Grandpa continued.

Just then, Ducky's mother cut in.

"You don't have to tell me twice; Kosh, on the other hand-"

"Shut it, Ariel," Kosh grumbled.

And with that, Kosh walked away.

"What's with him? He seems really bummed about this; or maybe he's taking his frustrations of being left out of important discussions on me; personally, I don't see how he could be of any help in this situation; I'm not saying this because he's stupid-"

"Maybe because he has a big mouth and, even though Topsy doesn't exactly hate him; he still doesn't think he's trustworthy enough to confide in him; I also think that he couldn't trust his own father with an issue that personal," Grandpa told her.

Ariel sighed.

"Wow, I had no idea it was this serious; I sure hope he gets better soon," Ariel commented.

"I do, too, Ariel," Grandpa said.

And with that, the meeting had finished and the grown ups left the Rock Circle.


	4. Chapter 4

Topsy was still fighting a losing battle within himself; he was taught from a young age to never show emotions. However, he felt himself starting to crack; silently cursing his father for making him think the way he does, he started experiencing yet another flashback. Only this time, he could have sworn, he saw Cera dying in the fire. He then shook his head before rubbing his eyes with his right forepaw. The flashback had ended with him shaking and sweating profusely. And with that, his stomach pain returned; he sat down and gasped in pain while holding his stomach with his right forepaw.

"Ahh! Man this hurts," Topsy grumbled.

The pain, shaking and sweating subsided after a few moments; then, he continued his walk around the valley.

"This is ridiculous; I'm a threehorn; we should never show weakness," Topsy stated once again.

Later that night, he was stricken with insomnia; no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get to sleep. He glanced over at the little threehorn from a distance not too far from him. Soon enough, he stood up and walked away; he didn't want her to see him like this; especially when he was supposed to be a strong role model for her. However, he needed to solve this problem; and FAST; although, he was still insecure since he had a feeling that everyone would see him as anything but tough if he opened up to them.

"Maybe I'm not giving the herd enough credit...no, no; I just need to walk it off," Topsy whispered to himself.

Before he knew it; he had walked out of the valley. Since his mind was elsewhere, his mental health was declining all due to his repressing his emotions.

The next morning, Cera woke up and saw that her dad wasn't in his sleeping spot. However, Cera assumed that he might have gotten up early and headed over to the Feeding Grounds. All of a sudden, she overheard the grown ups whispering.

"Wait a second; you mean my dad isn't here?" Cera asked.

"No he isn't; me and him usually try and see who can gather the most sweet bubbles by now; we used to do that when we were little as well; only, I used to play dirty and knock him down so I can gather them first," Kosh answered.

"Huh; he did seem really tense at dinner last night; I have a feeling there is something he's not telling me; I don't know what it is; but, I would like to know what's going on with him," Cera explained.

"Maybe you're too young to understand; most parents wait to discuss such personal matters with their offspring when they first reach the Time of Great Growing," Kosh claimed.

Cera sighed.

That was when she knew to stop asking those types of questions and decided to wait until Topsy was ready to open up to her. After everyone has had their breakfast, Cera went back to her sleeping place; she wasn't really in the mood to play since she was very worried about her dad.

Meanwhile, Littlefoot, Ducky, Petrie, Spike, Hyp, Mutt and Nod were sitting around in the Tall Trees and wondered how to cheer up the despondent threehorn.

"This is not good; oh, no, no, no," Ducky commented.

"You can say that again," Hyp stated.

Spike let out a sad murmur; he was usually the most chilled out of the group, apart from Mutt, that is. They all hung their heads in sadness; it was so sad that not even Spike had a second helping of treestars and sweet bubbles and he usually eats even if he's not hungry.

Later in the afternoon, the grown ups gathered around at the Rock Circle once again.

"It seems that Topsy has gone missing; maybe he just needs some time to himself," Kosh replied.

"Yeah; but, I checked his sleeping place; and his usual spot is cold; so, I'm sure he's not even in the valley," Grandpa stated.

"This is bad; if only he could see that opening up about his emotions doesn't make him weak; and what if he's in the Mysterious Beyond? He might be able to take on fast biters; but, two fully grown sharpteeth is a different story," Ariel stated while panicking.

"Keep in mind, Ariel, he's always been able to defend himself against the meat eaters; after all, he can communicate with them; although, they never listen since he's a threehorn, not a sharptooth," Grandpa assured the brown swimmer.

"We better go out and find him," Kosh declared.

"I think it's better if I go alone," Grandpa said in disagreement.

Kosh shook his head.

"We're not letting you go out alone; you know that the Mysterious Beyond is inhabited by sharpteeth; besides, if you get hurt, Topsy won't be able to carry you back; considering you're so much bigger than he is; not that I'm saying you're-"

"I get the point; it's physically impossible for a threehorn to carry a longneck; all right, I guess I will need the extra help," Grandpa finally agreed.

And with that, Grandpa, Grandma, Kosh and Ariel headed out of the valley.


	5. Chapter 5

The four dinosaurs have been wandering the Mysterious Beyond for the last few hours; and the heat seemed to be getting to them.

"It's so hot out here," Kosh complained.

The other three nodded in agreement.

All of a sudden, the four of them saw Topsy walking up to them. He clearly had a run-in with Red Claw, Screech and Thud. However, his wounds weren't bleeding; all he had was some claw marks on his face, some blood on his horn when he inflicted a flesh wound on Screech and he bled to death. Red Claw and Thud managed to escape with their lives, though.

"Oh, dear; are you all right?" Grandma asked.

"Do I look like I'm all right? Huh, do I?" Topsy snarled.

"Is that any way to talk to a lady?" Grandpa demanded.

Topsy lowered his head in shame.

"I appreciate you sticking up for me; but, I'll excuse the rudeness this once," Grandma told him before she looked down at Topsy.

Soon enough, Topsy looked up at the elderly female.

"I'm so-"

"I know you're sorry; that must have been quite a fight you had with those guys; so, you managed to kill Screech," Grandma stated.

Topsy nodded.

"Although, I didn't get out of the fight unscathed; I have good scratches on my face, Thud head butted me in the stomach and knocked the wind out of me; thankfully, I hadn't eaten too much, so it wasn't too bad; although, Screech was downwind of me; I never should have eaten all that stinkweed and swamp sticks before bed last night; those things give me indigestion; then again, all this stress still causes me to experience stomach pain, which is fairly common," Topsy explained.

The other dinosaurs nodded.

"Well, I'm just glad you're not seriously hurt; but, I have just one question...WHAT THE HELL WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU RAN OFF THIS MORNING?! WE WERE ALL WORRIED SICK!" Kosh shouted.

"You? Worried sick about me? And here I thought you'd be more worried about not having enough to eat, much less worry about me," Topsy retorted.

Ariel fought back the urge to laugh at Topsy's retort to Kosh.

"There's no need for such childish behavior, you two; Kosh, you could have settled this in a more mature way instead of shouting," Grandma said.

"She sure told you," Topsy remarked to Kosh.

"Oh, shut up! At least I didn't run off to the Mysterious Beyond to try and get killed," Kosh snarled.

"I needed some time to think, all right?" Topsy retorted.

"Boys..." Grandma scolded the younger males.

Topsy and Kosh sighed since they knew they couldn't argue with the elderly female. It was a long walk back to the Great Valley; and thanks to the heat, it made the walk seem twice as long.

"I'm beat," Ariel stated with a yawn.

"You can ride on my back for a while if you want," Topsy offered.

Ariel smiled. However, she had Topsy lower himself to the ground before she got on his back. Upon getting herself comfortable, Topsy stood back up and they all continued on the path back to the Great Valley.


	6. Chapter 6

The walk back to the Great Valley was rather awkward and a bit painful; especially since Ariel's feet were kicking Topsy's sides.

"Ariel, you're kicking me; could you please knock it off?" Topsy asked.

Soon enough, Ariel decided that she has gotten her energy back and got off of Topsy's back.

"Are you mad at me? If I upset you, I'm sorry; I-"

"Don't worry about it, I understand; and thanks for the ride, I think I can make it the rest of the way on foot," Ariel assured him while petting his frill.

Topsy blushed while looking up at the swimmer.

"Ariel, you're embarrassing me," Topsy stated.

"Ah, come on; that's what friends do from time to time," Ariel claimed.

An uneasy chuckle escaped Topsy's lips.

After about ten minutes, the five dinosaurs made it to the Thundering Falls. However, Topsy didn't see Cera there; he assumed that she was mad at him, although, she was asleep when he left the valley.

"Do you think Cera hates me?" Topsy asked.

"What kind of stupid question is that? Of course she wouldn't hate you; she's probably just worried that you might have gotten seriously injured and a bit angry that you walked off," Grandpa replied.

Topsy lowered his head.

"I better talk to her; I shouldn't have walked out like that," Topsy said.

"Hey, if I was too harsh with my yelling, I'm sorry; I was just worried about you, that's all," Kosh admitted.

Topsy nodded.

"I'm sorry, too; for making you guys worry about me, that is; I just needed some time to myself, that's all," Topsy explained.

The others nodded.

"You didn't have to leave the valley to be alone; the Sheltering Grass is a good spot if you ever wanted some alone time," Grandpa told him.

Topsy hung his head in shame.

"If only I thought of that before I go the stupid idea to go out in the Mysterious Beyond; but, I wasn't thinking clearly at the time; I'm pooped; maybe I'll take a nap after I have a talk with Cera and apologize to her," Topsy responded.

"You could use some shut eye; *sniff sniff* and a bath," Ariel replied.

Topsy stuck his tongue out at Ariel in a playful manner before walking over to a watering hole. He decided that Ariel was right; and even Ariel decided to wash up since Topsy's body odor rubbed off on her.

After a while, Cera seemed to be in a much better mood. She had a good talk with her dad and has forgiven him for worrying her. Now, she was playing with her friends like any normal child would.

"I am so glad that you and your dad worked things out," Ducky commented.

"Me no liked seeing you sad; so, me agree with Ducky," Petrie added.

Spike grumbled in agreement.

"We were worried about you for a while; but, we're glad that you're okay now," Littlefoot said.

Even Hyp, Mutt and Nod expressed their happiness that Cera's mood was back to normal.

"I got an idea; lets go for a swim," Hyp suggested.

The other seven agree with Hyp and wandered over to a watering hole.

Meanwhile at Topsy's nest, he was sleeping uneasily. Since his mind was still plagued by nightmares, he had a tendency to moan and talk and kick his hind legs in his sleep. His dream ended the same every time; Cera dies in the fire due to smoke inhalation and Topsy wakes up just before his dream self dies along with Cera. He woke up all of a sudden and grabbed his chest. Luckily for him, no one was around to hear him wake up from the nightmare.

"Thank goodness," Topsy muttered before trying to get back to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Topsy has definitely reached his breaking point.**

Cera has noticed a definite change in her dad's behavior; and it wasn't one she liked. She had asked him what was going on; and he told her that she was too young to understand. Despite dropping the subject, it still didn't make Cera worry about him any less.

"You haven't been eating much, lately," Cera pointed out.

Topsy sighed.

"I've got too much on my mind to even work up the appetite; and that's all you really need to know until I'm ready to talk to you about this; I don't even feel comfortable talking about this with most of the grown ups; and when they're all together, talking in front of a crowd; especially on a subject that's personal; I know that you all care; but, I would still feel better if there was a grown up I could talk to, one who can understand why I've been feeling so uneasy lately," Topsy explained.

"Well; you could talk to Littlefoot's grandpa about this; he seems like the type who can keep a secret; I don't think confiding such a personal issue with Kosh or Ducky and Petrie's mothers is such a good idea," Cera responded.

Topsy thought about this for a few moments before nodding.

"I understand that you felt bad about getting us stuck in the fire; but, that was months ago," Cera added.

"I know; but, I can't help it," Topsy admitted.

Cera nodded and nuzzled the adult's right forepaw as an attempt to cheer him up. Topsy managed a small smile despite how deeply affected he was by the fire incident. As if on cue, the elderly male longneck showed up; he then lowered himself to the ground and then looked at Cera.

"How have you been doing?" Cera asked.

"Eh, could be better; but, there are some things I would like to talk to your father about; it's just boring grown up stuff; I think you'll have more fun playing than lazing around here and listening to us talk; I didn't usually stick around to listen to grown ups talk when I was your age," Grandpa told her.

"I heard all that before; it's just a translation for get lost kid, the grown ups need to talk; I like your explanation better than what some other grown ups have told me and the other youngsters," Cera stated.

"Heh heh; some grown ups are so rude *cough* Kosh *cough*," Topsy sneered.

"Yeah; see ya," Cera stated while walking away.

Once Cera was far enough away, Grandpa glared down at the threehorn.

"That...was unnecessary," Grandpa told him.

"Can ya blame me? I know Kosh cares about me; but, he gets on my nerves and can come off as rude," Topsy retorted.

"Look who's talking," Grandpa sneered.

After an awkward silence, the elder spoke up again.

"If there's anything you need to get off your chest, feel free to talk about it; me and you are the only ones here right now since I told Cera that she might have more fun playing with the other young ones; and I could sense that you want this to be between us," Grandpa said.

"I'm fine," Topsy replied.

"No you're not; I've seen how the fire incident has messed up your self-esteem and your mental state; and the fact that holding in any emotions is affecting you physically; I know that you've been suffering from headaches, stomach pain and vomiting; so, don't give me crap about how you just ate something that didn't agree with you; 'cause I won't believe you," Grandpa added.

Topsy sighed.

"You forgot chest pains and shortness of breath; I'm actually surprised that I haven't started suffering heart attacks or started hyperventilating," Topsy pointed out.

"Why didn't you tell somebody sooner? Don't you see how bad this is affecting your health?" Grandpa asked.

Topsy sighed.

"I was ashamed," Topsy answered.

"Ashamed of what?" Grandpa wondered.

Topsy sighed and turned his head away from the elder. Soon enough, Grandpa turned Topsy's head around with his left forepaw so he could face him.

"I'm ashamed since threehorns are supposed to be tough; especially the males; but, I-I-I-I feel like I'm falling apart; I-I-I-I just didn't want to discuss this in front of the herd," Topsy stated while breathing heavily.

Despite being on the verge of tears, Topsy still managed to speak clearly, even though he was stuttering a bit. Grandpa understood that Topsy was usually a tough nut to crack and that he was one of the most stubborn dinosaurs who ever lived. However, since they got to know eac h other due to Littlefoot and Cera being best friends, the elder has gotten to a point where he cares about Topsy's wellbeing like he did his own daughter.

He thought back from the time where his daughter first hatched up until the time she and Littlefoot got separated and she succumbed to her wounds from the battle with Sharptooth. Even though, he didn't see her die, the memory of Littlefoot telling him about her death gets him choked up every time. However, he managed to keep himself from shedding tears for Topsy's sake.

"You know I care about you, right? What I'm saying is that being tough doesn't mean that you shouldn't feel pain; I understand that you want to appear as a tough parental figure for Cera; but, by holding in your emotions, you could get very sick and possibly die; what use could you be if you were dead?" Grandpa wondered.

Soon enough, Topsy felt his eyes filling with tears. He turned his head away once again and covered his eyes with his right forearm.

"Topsy, look at me," Grandpa pleaded.

The threehorn turned his now teary gaze towards the elder.

"I...I've been...having...nightmares...Cera dies...every time...every night...I wake up in a cold sweat...feeling sharp pains in my chest, sick feeling in my stomach...why do you think I haven't been eating much lately?" Topsy asked.

Grandpa nodded.

After hearing that explanation, Grandpa knew that Topsy needed comfort and offered him a shoulder to cry on, which was a gesture that Topsy gratefully accepted. Despite the sad sight, Grandpa was managing to keep his emotions in control. He then rubbed his chin up and down on Topsy's back to console him. He repeated the process while waiting for Topsy to let go of his repressed emotions.

"I'm so sorry," Topsy muttered.

"I know; it's just the way you were raised, that's all," Grandpa assured him.

After a few moments, the two males broke away from the embrace and Topsy dried his tears.

"Do you feel better now?" Grandpa asked.

"Yeah; thank you being there for me when I needed someone to lend a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to cry on; I had no idea that you cared for me that much," Topsy admitted.

"You're my best friend, even if you're stubborn and can be a pain in the ass," Grandpa claimed.

Topsy smiled.

Now that he has managed to let go of his repressed emotions after many weeks, he can now get more focused on getting back to normal.


	8. Chapter 8

Despite opening up to Grandpa about his nightmares and everything, Topsy was still feeling depressed. Although, he does feel like some weight has been lifted off of his shoulders; however, it still wasn't enough to make him feel normal again. He and Grandpa were still at his nest; although, he is feeling much calmer now that he has let out his emotions.

"I still feel bad for not coming to you sooner; no wonder I was so sick," Topsy said.

Grandpa placed his right forepaw on the back of Topsy's neck.

"I don't blame you; and I never thought of you as weak for having emotions," Grandpa assured him.

Topsy nodded.

"I'm not sure if my nightmares will go away; it might take some time," Topsy said.

"Well, I'll tell you one thing; now that you managed to open up to me; maybe you might feel better about opening up to more of the herd members since they've been worried about you; you're surrounded by many herd members who care about you," Grandpa explained.

Topsy sighed.

"Are you still experiencing stomach pain?" Grandpa asked.

Topsy nodded.

"Ah, no matter; I'm sure there are some healing leaves you can take for that; or maybe you could try drinking some water; you're probably just thirsty," Grandpa suggested.

Topsy shrugged.

Soon enough, the two males made it to the Thundering Falls where the rest of the herd were mingling. Topsy decided that before he confronted the herd, he would get a much needed drink of water since he was indeed thirsty. After quenching his thirst, he and Grandpa wandered over to the herd.

"Hey guys; I just want to say that I'm sorry for the way I've been acting; I was just ashamed for not being the supposed tough guy my father raised me to be," Topsy explained.

"Well, I'm just glad that you're feeling a bit better; hopefully your nightmares will stop happening," Kosh stated.

"I just wasn't ready to open up to everyone all at once; why do you think I was getting so defensive?" Topsy wondered.

The others nodded.

"Trust me, pal; if I was in your situation, I probably would react the same way you did to me; but, since I have no kids of my own, we'll never really know," Kosh commented.

Topsy nodded.

He has gone for many years thinking that threehorns were the ultimate dinosaur; however, there were dinosaurs of other species that are just as good. Even though his father is gone, possibly dead, Topsy still feels his presence within him.

"There's one thing about my nightmares I neglected to mention; just before I wake up, my father comes to me and says the same seven words; Some father you turned out to be; then, he vanishes, and that's when I wake up," Topsy explained.

The other herd members were shocked about this revelation; Topsy may always have seemed tough on the outside; but, on the inside, he is very insecure.

"You don't know what it's like to be me; all my life, I did what I could to earn my father's respect; and what do I get in return? Nothing! Not even positive comments like good job son, or I'm so proud of you; if anything, I was mainly kept around to continue the bloodline; my father never cared about me; all he cared about what was best for him with no regards for my feelings," Topsy replied.

Grandpa lowered his head to the threehorn.

"I went through something similar with my own father; he never once praised me for anything I did right; and yet, I still showed him respect no matter what," Grandpa told him.

Topsy nodded.

Upon seeing the sad expression on Topsy's face, Grandpa sighed. He truly hated seeing his friend like this and wanted to cheer him up. However, it would take a long time for him to recover; if ever. Though, with help from his friends and family, Topsy might survive this.


	9. Chapter 9

Later that night, Topsy was having yet another nightmare; only this time, he was dreaming that Thud along with a herd of fast biters and Red Claw were ambushing him in the Mysterious Beyond. Just before Red Claw could sink his jaws into Topsy's neck and end his life, Topsy woke up panting and broke out in a cold sweat.

"Phew; it was just a nightmare," Topsy told himself.

Just then, he placed a forepaw on his chest and began to take in some deep breaths in order to regain his composure. It took about five minutes before he could breathe normally again. Just before he could fall asleep, he noticed that Cera was sitting at his paws.

"It's a little late to be up, isn't it?" Topsy asked.

"I couldn't sleep knowing that you're still suffering; you were tossing and turning in your sleep; it woke me up," Cera explained.

Topsy hadn't realized how much his mental state was affecting Cera. He then nuzzled her head with his chin to try and cheer her up. Cera understood that nearly dying in the forest fire had indeed changed both her and him, however, she seemed to be okay.

"I know I haven't been myself lately; not even letting go of my emotions and talking to the old longneck was enough; I guess I have more negative feelings to get rid of," Topsy admitted.

Cera nodded.

"You're not suffering from nightmares are you?" Topsy asked.

"No; but, I have overheard you complaining of stomach pain; of course, it's understandable considering that you're constantly under stress due to your actions during the forest fire that could have cost us our lives if Grandpa Longneck hadn't shown up to save us," Cera answered.

Topsy nodded and bowed his head.

"Don't worry, Dad; I still love you," Cera added.

Topsy smiled and nuzzled Cera once again. However, that didn't ease the adult threehorn's nerves at all. He was still feeling really uneasy and at times really queasy along with getting headaches. Cera felt bad about not being able to help him; and not knowing what to do was making her feel worse.

"I wish there was something I can do to make you feel better; other than being there for you," Cera claimed.

Topsy nodded.

"And I thought you felt better after that talk with Grandpa Longneck," Cera added.

"Sometimes, just talking about your problems with the one person you trust more than anybody else and letting go of your emotions isn't gonna cut it; I'm not sure how long it's gonna take before I stop experiencing flashbacks and nightmares," Topsy stated.

Cera nodded.

Soon enough, the threehorns saw Grandpa Longneck coming up to them.

"Wide awake, I see," Grandpa said.

Apparently, Topsy didn't notice him right away and he was startled.

"How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me? Just imagine the mess I'd make if I had the urge to pee," Topsy exclaimed.

"Sorry if I startled you like that; I thought you were starting to get better after you got the chance to let go of your repressed emotions when I offered you a shoulder to cry on; as well as the chance to talk to me about the nightmares you were experiencing," Grandpa told him.

"There's now a new problem; since I killed Screech out in the Mysterious Beyond, I have a feeling that Thud is out for revenge; that's what I was dreaming about; it felt so real; I could feel Thud's breath on my face; I could smell my own blood being shed by a herd of fast biters, the same kind as Thud; and before Red Claw could sink his jaws into my neck, that's when I woke up panting and sweating; I thought I was gonna suffer a heart attack; and that's when Cera woke up to come and check up on me," Topsy explained.

Grandpa nodded.

"I guess that explains why you're still on edge; whenever you need to talk, let any of us know; we're all here for you; well, anyway, hopefully you two can get back to sleep; I just thought I'd check up on you; see you in the morning," Grandpa told them.

"Good night; and thanks for caring," Topsy commented.

Grandpa smiled and walked back to his own nest.

After a few moments, Cera and Topsy finally were able to get back to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning, Topsy woke up and found that Cera was missing. A trail of foot prints could be seen going out of the valley. After getting a whiff of the scent, a part of his nightmare was coming true. Cera was taken as a hostage by a herd of fast biters in order to lure Topsy to the Mysterious Beyond where he could possibly be killed so Thud would be able to avenge Screech.

"No...it-it can't be..." Topsy muttered.

He then ran away from his nest; meanwhile, he had run into the elderly longnecks.

"Help...Cera...she has been kidnapped," Topsy exclaimed.

Grandpa lowered his head to the distressed threehorn.

"We'll go on ahead, dear; come Littlefoot," Grandma told him.

The young longneck knew it was pointless to argue and followed the elderly female to the Feeding Grounds. Meanwhile, Grandpa stayed behind and tried to soothe the threehorn's frazzled nerves. Topsy began to breathe deeply so he could bring down his heart rate in order to give him a better chance of not getting a case of the hiccups. After about five minutes, Topsy was finally able to think and speak clearly.

"So, I'm guessing that dream you had last night was more of a premonition; judging by your description of it, that is," Grandpa commented.

"Yeah; I feel bad about myself," Topsy said.

"Look; you may have made mistakes; but, that doesn't make you a bad person; you're not giving yourself enough credit; and hearing you bad mouth yourself kinda upsets me," Grandpa told him.

Topsy bowed his head.

"I'm sorry; but, I can't help it; ever since I was little, I was taught that threehorns were the number one species and that they don't answer to anyone else; especially a longneck," Topsy admitted.

Grandpa nodded.

"I can't think of eating when I have a child to save," Topsy added.

"Well, skipping meals isn't healthy either, you know," Grandpa replied.

Topsy sighed. Although, he knew that the longneck had a point, he just didn't have the appetite right now. Upon seeing Topsy shedding a tear, Grandpa sighed. He somehow knew that Topsy's suffering wasn't gonna end right away; at least not until he makes things right with Thud and his herd and Red Claw. However, meat eaters have never listened to reason; especially with threehorns and longnecks; but, they would try and make them listen.

"It's all my fault; if I hadn't run out to the Mysterious Beyond, none of this would have happened! Screech wouldn't be dead and Thud wouldn't be out for revenge; I have to go and rescue Cera," Topsy declared.

"I'm not sending you out by yourself; you might be able to take on a couple of fast biters; but not an entire fast biter herd and Red Claw; they won't kill Cera if they're using her as bait; the point is, you need a group of dinosaurs to help fight off the fast biters and Red Claw," Grandpa explained.

Topsy knew that Grandpa was right, although, it was hard for him to admit it.

"I'm gonna need all the help I can get," Topsy commented.

Grandpa nodded.

Once they all had breakfast, Topsy and a select few of the herd went out to search for the young threehorn.


	11. Chapter 11

Meanwhile out in the Mysterious Beyond, Cera was being held captive in a cave. Although, not tied up with vines, she couldn't escape since the entrance was being patrolled by a few of the fast biters. She had overheard them talking in their own language; and what scared her more was the fact that she couldn't understand a word they were saying.

"If only Dad were here," Cera muttered before curling up into a ball.

Thud, although understands leaf eater, he chooses not to speak it. He shot the threehorn a warning glare and showed off his teeth. Cera could only assume he was telling her to shut up, and she was willing to comply since she didn't want him to kill her.

Meanwhile, the search party was out in the Mysterious Beyond looking for Cera. It was hot and dry and there was no cloud coverage.

"We've been out here for hours; the trail is probably cold by now," Ariel moaned.

"Don't say that; we have to keep looking; we've got to find Cera and bring her back," Topsy declared.

Ariel sighed. She wouldn't know what to do if one of her children were kidnapped; especially Ducky and Spike, since her other children mainly stayed close to the nest.

Unfortunately for the group, Cera was still not found, and the bright circle was high in the sky.

"What if we never find her?" Ariel asked.

"Ariel, this isn't a good time to be negative; put yourself in Topsy's place; he loses nearly all of his children and wife during the Great Earthshake; he and Cera could have been killed in the forest fire, and...you know the rest," Grandpa whispered to her.

Ariel bowed her head; Topsy noticed her expression and thought that maybe she only said those things because she was tired, hungry and thirsty.

"Don't feel bad about what you said, Ariel; I'm not mad at you," Topsy assured the swimmer.

Ariel smiled down at the threehorn walking beside her.

"I'm just so scared for Cera; and I appreciate all of you for coming out with me to find her," Topsy continued.

The other grown ups nodded at the comment.

Later that night, Topsy was really miserable. Although, he still had hope of finding Cera, the Mysterious Beyond was a huge place.

"You guys stay here and rest if you want; but, I'm not stopping," Topsy declared.

The other grown ups were shocked; although, Topsy had good intentions; his health wasn't the greatest due to recent events. However, instead of resting like the others wanted to, they continued on no matter how tired they were.

"It's night time; we're not leaving you alone for you to get killed; there could be a bunch of sharpteeth just waiting for an easy meal," Grandpa told him.

"I appreciate your concern; but-"

"No buts; we don't expect you to take on an entire herd of fast biters and Red Claw by yourself; and we certainly don't want you getting hurt; why do you think we came with you on this rescue mission, because we think you can't handle yourself? No! It's because we as a herd stick together; especially out in the Mysterious Beyond," Grandpa explained.

Topsy nodded and agreed that it wasn't a good idea to take on a herd of meat eaters by himself. It was at that moment when the grown ups continued on with their mission.


	12. Chapter 12

It was now the second day of the search party being out in the Mysterious Beyond. Topsy was getting really frustrated at not being able to find Cera; and the others knew it.

"She's gotta be around here somewhere," Topsy muttered.

The others nodded. Grandpa lowered his head to the threehorn and tried to console him.

"We'll find her; don't worry," Grandpa assured him.

Topsy nodded.

"But, what scares me is what if we find her and she has been attacked?" Topsy wondered.

Grandpa sighed.

"I know that now it seems hopeless; but, we must be positive," Grandpa said.

Just as the elderly male longneck started lifting his head, he saw a tear leaking out of Topsy's left eye and onto the ground.

"And since Cera is the only child you have left, I guess the thought of her possibly getting killed out here scares the crap out of you," Grandpa added.

Topsy nodded.

"You're right; I love her so much; I'd do...anything...to get her back," Topsy told him.

Grandpa sighed; memories of his own daughter flooded his mind, and a few tears threatened to fall from his eyes. However, for Topsy's sake, he found the strength to hold them back.

"I know; you may be stubborn; but, that doesn't make you a bad father; everyone makes mistakes," Grandpa stated.

Topsy simply bowed his head.

"Come on; we better get going if we want to find Cera," Grandpa added.

"Okay," Topsy said.

Meanwhile back at the Great Valley, Littlefoot, Ducky, Petrie and Spike were really worried about Cera.

"This no fun without Cera," Petrie complained.

Spike moaned sadly.

"Nothing is the same without Cera; nope, nope, nope," Ducky commented.

"Well; I'm sure your mothers, Cera's dad, Mr. Thicknose and my grandparents can bring her home safely," Littlefoot claimed.

The other kids were hoping that Littlefoot was right about that.

Meanwhile in the Mysterious Beyond, Topsy was trying his hardest to remain strong and have faith that he and the rest of the search party can find Cera and bring her home safely. After a while, the search party managed to find a cave; and in this cave, Cera was being held captive.

"Cera!" Topsy exclaimed.

The young threehorn's eyes widened in shock and then ran over to the older threehorn.

"Dad! I'm so glad you all came!" Cera responded.

Just then, the two threehorns nuzzled each other; however, they were interrupted when Thud and a few of his fast biter minions jumped up on Topsy. With one swipe of the tail, Grandpa managed to knock the fast biters off of Topsy's back. He then reared up on his hind legs and stomped hard on one of the fast biters' backs, rendering him paralyzed. Red Claw saw this and tried to jump at and take a chunk of flesh out of the elderly male longneck's back. However, Grandpa anticipated this and managed to get out of the way.

"Ha ha, missed me! (blows raspberry)," Grandpa teased him.

Red Claw didn't like being teased by leaf eaters, especially a longneck if he's older and supposedly weaker. Just before he could avoid Red Claw's second attack, he was headbutted in the side and fell to the ground. Luckily for him, he wasn't seriously hurt; Grandpa stood back up and continued to fight. However, Cera wasn't so lucky; she had been trying to fend off a few fast biters with Ducky and Petrie's mothers; but, Thud managed to cut her with one of his talons. The young threehorn was unconscious; Topsy rushed to her aid while breathing heavily.

"Cera, please; I wouldn't know what to do if I ever lost you," Topsy pleaded.

After a few minutes, the fast biters retreated with Red Claw. The other leaf eaters wandered over to the small group that was surrounding the unconscious form of Cera.

"We did the best we could to keep her from getting hurt," Tori stated.

"I know; it's not your fault; Cera's a strong kid, I'm sure she'll pull through; but, I'm starting to wish that I was the one who got seriously hurt instead of her," Topsy told the female flyer.

Just then, Grandma lowered her head to the adult threehorn.

"Topsy, dear, please don't say things like that; you sound as if you should die; Cera still needs you; she'd be an orphan if you died," Grandma pleaded.

The adult threehorn sighed, knowing that wishing death on himself freaked her out quite a bit.

"Just imagine if you saw your own daughter like this; how would you feel?" Topsy asked.

Grandma sighed and nodded.

"You're right; but, wishing yourself to die or get seriously hurt makes me feel upset; how about we head home; Cera needs to get checked out," Grandma commented.

Topsy nodded and lifted Cera up onto his back. Soon enough, they all started on the journey back to the Great Valley.


	13. Chapter 13

Once the search party made it back to the Great Valley with Cera, the young threehorn's body slid down Topsy's side and onto the ground. The youngsters ran up and had their hopes dashed since Cera was not feeling or looking her best. Spike gasped in fear and dug his head into the ground. The sight of Cera's wounded body made Ducky start bawling her eyes out; Petrie comforted her the best he could while trying to keep his meal down. Littlefoot was sad, too; although, the children and grown ups were confused about how the young longneck wasn't disturbed by the blood.

"Littlefoot...but, how..." Topsy wondered.

"You'd be amazed after what I have been through; blood doesn't bother me since I've seen my own mother bleed to death; she still continued the battle with Sharptooth even with that deep flesh wound on her back; Cera was with me at the time, too," Littlefoot explained.

Topsy nodded and remembered that Cera told him about it once she made it to the Great Valley for the first time. All of a sudden, a pungent smell entered Littlefoot's nostrils.

"What's that smell?" Littlefoot asked.

"On the way back, I found a swamp and ate some swamp sticks; I was starving; guess I ate something that isn't agreeing with me," Topsy answered.

"No; it's not that kind of smell; it's worse than that," Littlefoot stated.

He then wandered over to Cera and got a closer look at her wound; green pus was leaking from the wound. Apparently one of the fast biters' talons were dirty.

"She's alive; but, she's out of it," Littlefoot said.

All Littlefoot had to do was stand next to Cera; and he felt a bit of heat coming from her. Topsy bent his head down to the young threehorn and nuzzled her gently, not even caring how hot she felt.

"Not to worry, Cera; we'll get you all better again..." Topsy stopped speaking due to getting choked up.

A few of his tears fell onto Cera's face; she then woke up feeling disoriented and confused.

"Daddy..." Cera moaned and coughed.

"Cera, your wound is infected; but, don't worry, we're gonna get you the treatment you need in order to get better; but, for now, save your strength," Topsy said as he tried to console her.

Cera soon fell back to sleep since she was so tired.

"Kids, how about you run along; Cera will be fine; me and Mr. Thicknose need to get her to the Healer Clearing," Topsy told them.

Once Spike lifted his head out of the ground, he wandered away with Littlefoot, Petrie and Ducky. Topsy gently lifted Cera onto his snout and followed Mr. Thicknose to the Healer Clearing.

Later in the day, Cera was still asleep; that's when Mr. Thicknose thought it was a good idea to rub some herbal paste on the wound. Topsy was instructed to keep her calm and steady in case she ever wakes up. Just as Mr. Thicknose started rubbing some herbal paste onto Cera's wound, the young threehorn woke up screaming and tried to get away.

"I'm sorry, Cera; but, it's the only way it'll get rid of the infection," Topsy told her.

Although, he managed to keep Cera from running off, her screams turned into sobs of pain. She eventually settled down and rested her head against Topsy's right forepaw. Mr. Thicknose had just finished putting the herbal paste on the wound and covered it up with some healing leaves. Then, both of the adults looked down at the sleeping threehorn.

"Thanks for everything; I don't know that much about healing infections; which is why I'm glad you're around since you have more experience," Topsy commented.

Mr. Thicknose smiled.

"If you think staying here to keep an eye on Cera will make you feel better, I'm okay with it; there are tons of green food to eat around here; I'm getting really hungry; how about you?" Mr. Thicknose wondered.

Topsy shook his head.

"I lost my appetite; it's not just because I'm worried about Cera; but, maybe I shouldn't have eaten all of those swamp sticks on the way back to the Great Valley," Topsy answered.

"You got a stomach ache or something?" Mr. Thicknose questioned.

Topsy nodded.

"Maybe a nap will help; I've taken naps whenever I had an upset stomach or a headache; or both; you could also try getting a drink; you're probably just thirsty," Mr. Thicknose said.

Topsy nodded.

After he gently set Cera aside, he grabbed a treestar and filled it up with water from a nearby pool of water and then walked back over and set it next to Cera. He then realized that he didn't get a drink for himself; so, he went back over to the water and took a drink. Once he quenched his thirst, he wandered back over to Cera and laid down. Mr. Thicknose smiled and gave the threehorns some space; it was at that moment that Topsy closed his eyes to rest.


End file.
